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Leslie Segrete is co-host of The Money Pit. She's a home improvement expert with an eye for design and the skills to get the job done. She knows what turns a house into a home and has the tips and ideas to make improvements easy and fun.

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Six Reasons to Paint Before You Move In

If you’re ending summer with a new home, be sure paint it before you move in. That’s the advice from experts at the Paint Quality Institute, and real estate and home improvement pros agree. Before you load in a stick of furniture or empty a moving box, consider these six reasons to lead with a new finish.

It’s easiest now. Interior painting is a lot simpler and less physically demanding when you can move freely within the work space. Having to shift furniture or maneuver around big items only wastes energy you could use for painting.

It saves time. Your painting project will take a lot longer if you have to cover and uncover furniture, and remove and re-hang artwork.

It also saves a lot of money. If you’re working with a professional painting contractor, they’ll be able to finish your finish much faster in an empty room. Labor charges typically account for 80 percent of the cost of painting, so a shorter work timeline can keep dollars in your pocket.

It safeguards your furnishings. No matter how careful you are, there’s always a risk of a paint splatters, flecks and spills. So keep your possessions out of harm’s way by keeping them out of the room.

It simplifies interior decorating. If you’re designing a space from scratch, starting with a fresh paint color scheme will help drive other choices and purchases for a picture-perfect result.

It feels good. There’s nothing like a new coat of paint to make a home seem cleaner, fresher, more welcoming and more yours. Use a top-quality, 100-percent-acrylic latex paint, and you’ll get a more stain-resistant finish that’ll look new for years to come.

Convinced? Great. Before you get to work, click over to www.PaintQuality.com for color tips and design ideas from the Paint Quality Institute.